Retractable window enclosure



May 12, 1959 RQPITCOFF 2,836,103

RETRACTABLE WINDOW ENCLOSURE Filed June 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

INVENTOR ATTORNEY May 12, 1959 R. PITCQFF RETRACTABLE WINDOW ENCLOSURE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16, 1954 INVENTOR fioerZP/Zooff BY ATTORNEYUnited States Patent O s 2,886,103 s RETRACTABLE WINDOW ENCLOSUREApplication June 16, 1954, Serial No 437,045 Claims. (Cl. 160-269) Myinvention relates to a retractable or roll-away window enclosure such asa screen or storm window.

In my copending application, Serial No. 293,926, filed June 17, r 1952,issued November 6, 1956, as Patent No. 2,769,491. I disclose anenclosure consisting of a roll of screen or storm window webbingcontained in a housing. mounted at the top of a window and a rail oneach side of thewindowcasement for guiding and locking theedges of theweb when unrolled. The present invention is similar in its broad aspectsbut is more specifically directed to a new guide rail and to a novelcoil spring assembly in the core upon which the web is wound. 1 t s r nFor a fuller understanding of the nature andobjects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description of oneembodiment of the. invention taken in connection withthe accompanyingdrawings, in which: t

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away,

of a double-hung window having a retractable enclosure mounted insidethe casing with a screen web fully unrolled;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view, partially brokenaway and partiallyinfsection, taken along line f III I I of Figure 1; s o n Figure 3 is afragmentary view taken along line III-5- IIIofFigure2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, partially in section, of one end of theweb roll housing;

Figure 5 is a view taken along ure 4; H n

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of Figure 5, and;i a

Figure 7 is an exploded view in ponents shown in Figure 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar, parts throughout theseveral views ofthe drawings.

Referring now to Figure 1, a double-hung window 8 has disposed withinits inside casing 9 a retractable window screen enclosure 10. Theenclosure comprises a line V-V of Figweb 11 of screen wire spanningwindow 8 between a" pair of side rails 12and 13, and a housing 14mounted at the top ofthe window casing on a pair of brackets 14aboltedtto the window casing. The housing contains a core 15 to which oneend of web 11 is fixed and is generally rectangular in cross-section,with three sides closed and the fourth (bottom) side open for passage ofthe web. The web is urged to a rolled position by a spring mechanismassociated with the core, as described below. The free or travelling endof the web is provided with a stifiening bar 16 to whichis attached aflexible looped takeup strip 17. a 1

Side rails 12 and 13 are constructed similarly and have the samefunctions, so only side rail 12, shown in Figures 2 and 3, is describedhereafter. Side rail 12consists of a fixed angle bar 18 extending tothe. window sill from a point just below housing 14. The angle bar is,mounted with one flange 19 against the upright of perspective of the com window casing 9 and with over angle bar 18 with its free flange Theother flange 23 of movable bar 21 flange 19 "fitted with a elevation isdesired. 3

2,86,16 Patented May 12, 1959 its adjacent the window behind screen web11as the web is. unrolled. A movable angle bar 21 is superimposed22inwardly of flange 20and parallel thereto is provided with a plurality(illustratively five) kidne -shaped slots 24 each similarly located withrespect to flange 22 andiorming a cam extending downwardly away from thewindow. Corresponding in position. to each cam slot 24 is a circularhole 25 in hollow rivetr26 having rolled ends to hold angle bars 18 and21 together loosely and to serve as a follower over which may be moved.All holes 25 are aligned,'$and screws window, by the cooperative actionof all cam slots 24,

to the dotted line position shown, in Figure 2. In so a moving freeflanges 20 and 22 become separated; Contrariwise, cam slots 241 permitangle bar 21 tobe lifted and thereby shifted toward the window to movefree flange 22 against free flange 20. This latter. action is etfectedwithminimum upward movement in using the arcuate cam slots 24illustrated wherein theconcavity1 is g on the underside. In thealternate, straight slots slanted downwardly may be used satisfactorilywhere,

less? pronounced lateral movement of angle bar 21 upon Also, thelinkages; between the angle bars could be reversed by comprisewbars eachwith oneend; rotatably connected to flange 23 and the other similarlyconnected to flange in its downmost position. i n t s s n ,The top edges29 and 30 of the free flanges 22 and 20 respectively are bent towardthe, window to accommodate web 11 as it is unrolle the lower end ofmovable angle arecta d from core 15, while allowing the edge to travelalong the space between free Q flanges 2t) and 22 of theangle bars.

Asthe screen in unrolled angle bar 21 is in its normal ingly expanded.When theweb is fully withdrawn and elling end of web 11 from enteringhousing 14, need thus is operable in the end of stifieningb-ar 16 isslipped 15 draws angle bar 21 upwardly ment by side rail 13. retainedover substantially their entire lengths, and, in-

deed, any force against the body of the screen which might otherwisetend to pull the edges free is active toelevate stiffening bar 16 andforce the movable angle bars into an even tighter grip on the edges, I

, The screen, or storm window web as thecase may be,

one continuous motion. To enclose the window, stiffening bar16, whichprevents the travpletes' the edge locking without additionalfeflforoonthe other flange 20 free and the cam slot having pegs projecting fromflange 23 through cam slots in flange 19, with cola lateral means forfastening angle bar 18 to the window casing, or the linkages could 19,witha suitable limit. stop to retain the movable angle barpast deadcenter bar 21 is capped with by the end of stifienprovides positiveguiding s s n or down position withthe passage between flanges 20 and 22correspond beneath plate28 I and the stitfening bar is released rewinidspring of core n and urges the free i flanges together due to the camaction described above. Theiopposite edge of web 11 is given the sametreat- Q Both edges are thereby firmly part of the'operator, and takeupstrip 17 seals the gap between the stiffening bar and the window sill.Now when the screen is to be retracted, one need only move stiffeningbar 16 toward the window to free the edges from the movable angle barsand allow the angle bars to .drop,;and. then releasethe-stitfening barfor rectrac-x one end (not shown)-to core 15 and at the other end to anaxial cylindrical shaft 32 which is rotatable to increase-the tension ofspring 31. Shaft 32 has a flattened extremity and extends through acentral hole in acover plate 34 that is shaped to enclose theend-ofhousing'14, and through a similar central hole in a lockplate 35 adaptedto be inserted next to cover plate 34'. Lock plate 35 has oblong slots36 equidistant above and below its central hole and a flange 37 on itslower edgeprovided with a female button 38 to coincide with a malebutton 39 on flange 40 of bracket 14a for convenience of positioningduring-assembly.

Adapted to fit between lock plate 35 and bracket 14a is a triskelionspring tension retainer 41 having a rectangular-hole'42 in its centerslightly larger than .the flattened extremity of shaft 32 and three arms43 the lengthof the distance between either slot 36 and the central holeof lock plate 35. Each arm 43 has a tip 44-on the end-extendingcounterclockwise and bent toward lock plate 35 as viewed in Figure 5,the tip being a little smaller than each slot 36. The final element ofthe'mechanism is a round washer 45 with a centralized rectangular holelike hole 42 in retainer 41 but small enough for a tight fit over theend of shaft 32.

"The right-hand side of the unit, thoughnot illustrat'ed is -rel'ativelysimple. It includes an axial'cylindrical shaft extending from the end ofcore 15 and a cover plate for the-housing similar to cover plate 34 witha central hole through which the shaft projects tosuspend thecore forrotation. The cover plate and thef edge of the housing rest on theright-hand bracket 14a.

1111 assembling the spring mechanism, with core 15 supporting rolled'web 11 within housing 14- and the housing removed from brackets 14a,plates 34 and'35 areslipped successively into the open end of housing 14with 'shaft'32 fitting through the central hole of each, and thenretainer 41 is inserted over' the flattenedfextrernity' of shaft 32 andis turned clockwise as viewed in Figure until the desired tension iswound into spring*31;' At this point one of the tips 44 is ea'sedjinto aslot 36 (Figure'e) 'to lock spring 31 against unwinding. Thereafter coremay be rotated in either direction without interference, while alwaysurging web 11 to a wound position. Now after washer 45 is pre'ss'ed'over the end of shaft 32 the components are'held together firmly andwill not separate under normal handling. 'The housing may then beinserted over brackets'14a with the longitudinal edges of web 11 fedbetween free flanges of side rails 12 and 13, to complete the windowenclosure. The enclosures operatioii in conjunction with the side railsfor locking. the web when fully withdrawn is as described earlier.

'Inthe claims and in the above description I refer to a retractablewindow screen. By this expression I mean to "includescre'ening, flexibletransparent material, and other materials suitable for a retractablewindow covering. Moreover, 11 and side rails 12 and 13 may be used theyear round by'ha'ving a screen roll for the summer interchangeable witha clearl'plasti'c roll serving as a storm window in it is to beunderstood that housing I the winter. Alternatively, housing 11 could beenlarged tocontain bothtypesof rolls, each with a stiffening bar on itstravelling end and each movable separately within side rails 12 and 13,so that the appropriate covering to suit the weather is selectableconveniently without delay.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction anddifferent embodiments of the invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a retractable window screen mountable at the top of a windowcasing and having spring means urging the screen to retracted positionand a stiffening bar on the travelling end of the screen, thecombination of a clamping bar mountable longitudinally along the side ofthe window casing on oneside of an edge of the screen when extended,angular' cam means on said clamping bar disposed off the center ofgravityof said clamping bar-in thedirect-ion away from said screen andguiding free movement of 'said clamping barnormally in a downwarddirection away from said screen but against said-screenwhen-saidyclamping bar is elevated, means for mounting said clamping barto the window casing leaving 'free movement-of said clamping bar alongsaid carnmeans,-stationary means on the other side of said unroll'ededge of the screen against which the screen is clamped upon elevation ofsaid clamping bar as guided by said 'carn means, and means at'the baseof said clamping bar engageable with said'stiffening 'bar when thescreenis extended, said engageable means, when engaged' with saidstilfeningbar, thereby elevating said clamping bar and clampingsaidtscreen by theforce of said spring means.

2'. In combination, a retractable window screen mountable at the top ofa window casing, spring means urging the screen to retracted position, astiffening bar on'the travelling end of the screen and a lockingmechanism along eachlongitudinal edge of the screen when extended,

each locking mechanism comprising a clamping bar mountablelongitudinally along the side of the window casing-on one side of anedge of the screen when extended, angular cam means on said clamping bardisposed ,olf the center of gravity of said clamping bar. 'in

the direction away from said screen and guiding free .movement of saidclamping bar normally in a. downward direction away from said screen butagainst said screen when said clamping bar is elevated, means formounting said'clarnping bar to the window casing leaving free movementof. said clamping bar along said cam means, stationary means on theother side of said unrolled edge of the screen against which the screenis clamped upon elevation of said clamping bar as guided by said cammeans, and means at the base of said clamping bar engageable with saidstiffening bar when the screen is extended, said engageable means, whenengaged with said .rality' of cam slots slanting downwardly and awayfrom said edge and disposed olf the center of gravityof said angle barin the direction away from said'edge,'carn follower means looselymountingflhrough said cam slots, said' angle bar to the side of a'windowcasing, and means at the base of said angle'bar engageable with saidstiffening bar whenthe screen is extended.

4. The combination according to claim 3 in which the cam slots arearcuate with concavity on the underside.

5. An edge-locking mechanism for a retractable window screen mounted atthe top of a window casing and having spring means urging the screen toretracted position and a stiffening bar on the travelling end of thescreen, said mechanism comprising in combination a first angle barhaving a free flange movable against the edge of an extended screen, andanother flange with a plurality of cam slots slanting downwardly andaway from said edge and disposed off the center of gravity of said firstangle bar in the direction away from said edge, cam follower meansloosely mounting, through said cam slots, said angle bar .to the side ofa window casing, a second angle bar positioned on said side with oneflange parallel to and separated from the free flange of said firstangle bar, thereby forming an expansible guide channel for one edge ofsaid screen during extension, and means at the base of said first anglebar engageable with said stifiening bar when the screen is extended,said engageable, means, when engaged with said stiffening bar, therebyelevating said first angle bar and clamping said one edge between thetwo parallel flanges by the force of said spring means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS StarrMay 30, 1944

